, 1887-05-19

tread other paths. Our thoughts
run in other channels. Our hopes as
pire to other objects. Each age has
its own task; each generation its own
problem. The Sphynx propounds
its riddle anew to every conner, and
out of the experience Of our own lives,
as included in the longer experience
of the race, must come the answer.
SO far rs the past can help us, and
it can be very largely helpful, we will
receive its lessons with ready graft
tude; but with discriminating touch
we would separate the dross from the
gold, the error from the truth, the
chaff from the wheat. He only who
rightly and most deeply lives in the
present, knows how to extract the
precious and everything good from the
years that have gone before. Every
creed of our ancestors was an honest
attempt to utter something deep with
in themselves, something obscure and
dark which yet was struggling to be
born into the light of the sun. Often
narrow, often one-sded, often repul-
sive, always incomplete were these
thrOes of the religious nature in man
seeking utterance. They spoke as
best they knew according to their
light; we with our greater light can
only do as we'll as they by doing bet
ter. Our liberty is the liberty that
would welcome from the past its
truth, without taking upon our
neck the yoke of its errors.
This is the American doctrine of pedi-
gree, that he who would not disgrace
his ancestors, must see to it that he
bcttcrs their example.
Our work is "christian." We are
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
nor have we outgrown it. Christian
ity is made up of two things, the form
and the idea, the transient and the
permanent The form, the external,
changes from age to age, it is but the
time garment of the idea which is
eternal and divine. 1t is great as the
world, broad as humanity, old as the
past, new as the present. But while
the soul of religion remains cternally
the same, what difference lies be-
tween the old and the new forms of
christian belief. The one lays the
stress on mans future with all the
punishments OF hell and the rewards
OF heaven-the life of man here but
a preparation and probation for the
life beyond, upon which he must spend
his energy. The other lays the EN-
phasis upon mans present, with the
strong assurance that if he always does
his best deeds now, he will do it to all
eternity 1T bids us take this earth,
subdue it, and make j. the fit abode of
rational man. Heaven is to be brought
down from the distant skies, and trans
muted into our terrestrial dwelling
! place. The bliss of the future must
realize itself in the life of the present.
We must begin here now to lead the
heavenly life and not put off the great
duty to the hereafter. AS Jesus said:
"Thy will be done on earth"
The future is no reality, the now,
alone, is this earth is the scene of our
true endeavor. Fill each day, each
moment with thy best self, and thou
hast won all eternity. lie who is
always looking to the future never
can be n complete man; his reality is
always beyond himself and never in
himself. Death will not, cannot meet
us unprepared if we are doing the
work OF daily duty, Live the heavenly
life now; if we see well to this, the
future is certainly ours, but otherwise
it is dubious enough. Cease to brood
on what may be, and do what is. The
future is to be won in the present
then is eternity entered upon and
death is but the momentary point of
transition. True, that under our
cradle our grave is dug But what is
death? 1t is migration, the psyche
changing its dwelling, shifting its flag,
and pressing onward. Death is only
the door to another world; only II
means OF passage from one world to
another 1t is the change Of old atoms
for new, and has nothing to do with
the souls veal or woe. Its effect is
physical not psychcal. New life con-
dtions do, doubtless, work Il change in
the soul but death, which is only the
means so those conditions, effects no
change in the spiritual entity of man.
Whatever OF real good is gained in one
stage of life, abides with us; it is not
lost in passing to another else there
would be no reason for existence.
Disrobe death of the fictitious fears
with which superstition has clothed
it, and thousands of foolish pulpits
would be struck dumb; men would
profess less and do more; and hun
dreds of thousands, whom fear has
made hypocrites, would not be afraid
to live and die honest men. The true
man does not ask whether the out
come in the future is to be reward or
punishment. but always pours his
best self into his life, and death to him
is neither II fate, an accident or II
calamity, but only the ripened fulfill
ment of living Man only becomes
truly man by doing his duty because it
is his duty, not cowed with terror at the
future or asking aught ut its hands.
One must either go back
ward in time for his para
disc, or forward in time for
| his lion You both lnnSi ln found N iLn